Category Archives: Random Rants

It has been far too long since I have made writing a blog post a priority. I have been busy making plans to Birth Something Beautiful in 2014🙂 And I promise I will get better in 2014!!!❤

In the meantime… one of the things that has me busy today is my need to get the CEUs necessary to renew my nursing license. I found an online modules on a reputable site that would give me half of the CEUs I need and it also sounded like I might enjoy the reading. Its titled “Childbirth Education: A handbook for nurses” The objective is to give labor and delivery nurses an idea of what is discussed during a CBE class. I can tell this course is not old, meaning it was written in the past year because it does not expire until 2015 and there are references on the reference list from 2012. It was written by a person who is an RN, CNM and has 20 years of experience as a CBE.

Sooooo let me get to the part that has me taking a break to write this blog post… I’m reading along, going fast so I can get to the test and get my CEUs… you know how it goes… and I am brought to a screeching halt when I read the following statement:

“The average length of the early phase is eight hours. A maximum length of 20 hours for primiparas, eight hours for multiparas is considered normal.”

I think to myself… hmmm, thats odd… Aint nothing right about that… She is trippin… then I say to myself “What ever Nicole… just remember that wrongness for the test so you can get this done” And then I continue reading and I see…

“The normal fetal heart rate is 120 to 160 beats per minute with variability that may range slightly lower or higher. The fetal heart rate should accelerate greater than 15 beats per minute, for more than 15 seconds, and twice in 10 minutes or three times in a 20-minute period.”

And then I’m like SERIOUSLY?? How was this course ever approved?? FYI and BTW… the information above is WRONG.

Now… imagine a new nurse, without guidance who is using this CEU module for learning… WOW!!Just WOW… and I am only 1/4 of the way through this thing… I’m speechless… The blind… leading the blind… I’m not saying everything in this module is bad or wrong nor am I suggestions that I know all the right answers. I am suggesting that we really have to go to the source. Do our due diligence and make sure we have valid information…

And so it is… and so we must continue to educate and help our mamas know the TRUTH And help them navigate the madness. The struggle continues… #FistUp

Are you familiar with Breast Cancer Action? They call themselves “the watchdog of the breast cancer movement. From their website… “[They] are able to tell the truth about the epidemic because [they] are the only national breast cancer organization that does not accept funding from entities that profit from or contribute to cancer, including the pharmaceutical industry.”

They are the organization that created the “Think before you pink” campaign and based on what I know, I like what they stand for. That being said, I think we should all mark our calendars for their upcoming FREE webinar: What’s the Big Idea? Environmental Exposures and the State of Chemical Policy Reform. This webinar will be offered twice, once on August 1st and once on August 2nd. During the webinar they will discuss how environmental chemicals can act as “uncontrolled medicine” They will cover the endocrine disrupting effects of environmental chemicals, the state of chemical reform right now, and the difference between The Safe Chemicals Act & The Chemical Safety Improvement Act. Learn more and register for this FREE webinar HERE!

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So this evening I sit using my cell phone to write a quick post for an evening Monday Musing. I am using my phone and will post this without ever seeing it on a computer screen. This is not something I normally do but since I still have no power since Hurricaine Isaac *SCREAMING* its my only option. Yes I could go to a friends who has power but they are dealing with their own mess and that’s not really the issue. I had plans to write a really nice post about the fact that today all across the country women protested for women centered care for the Improving Birth Rally as a part of Empowered Birth Awareness Week.

My post was not going to be really about these rallies directly but was going to be more about the fact that this is the beginning of Infant Mortality Awareness Month and most of the women participating in those protests don’t even realize it. I applaud the organizers for their work they have done to empower women to have better birth experiences. Their work helps all women and were it not for Isaac I would have participated here in Louisiana. Mother friendly care can have a positive impact on infant mortality.

I know that some of the women who participated nation wide may have known but as I purused the facebook pages and websites…. Not one word. Not one solid word about the fact that its Infant Mortality Awareness month.Not one slogan for a sign that mentioned the connection between infant mortality and quality care.

Am I fully surprised? Not really and that’s the unfortunate part. It brings me back to some posts that asked the question “when will you care?” When will you care that the United States ranks behind 40 other nations when recent infant mortality stats are compared. When will we get a national rally to save OUR babies who die greater than twice the rate of white babies??? When will you care??

I would link to it… but since I’m on my PHONE. WITH. NO. POWER and no real internet access….! I will invite you to search for it in my archives *_*

Its a real question.though When will you care? And if you rallied today… Honestly… Did you know it was Infant Mortality Awareness Month?

The past couple of weeks I have not been travelling/flying as much as I normally do for my J.O.B. and this has left me with time to think about things…. among them… Flying and travelling LOL. Every time I fly I see at least one pregant woman. Usually I see a few but certainly I see at least one. Three thoughts always cross my mind….

One… Does her midwife (or doctor) know she’s travelling while pregnant? Its not that they have to know but personally I always wanted to know if my patients were travelling. I wanted to know when, where, how, for how long and sometimes I even wanted to know why. I wanted to know so I could provide extra education about things to consider while travelling. I wanted to know so I could counsel them and encourage them to wait if they could. I wanted to know so I would make sure to pay special attention at their next appointment or so I would be sure to follow up extra special if they missed that appointment. And well… Sometimes I just wanted to know cause I was nosy. Not in an intrusive way but in an I’m your midwife, we have a special relationship and I just wanna know what your up to sort of way *_* LOL

Two… I wonder if she has her prenatal records with her. When I knew a patient was travelling away, even it were just for a day I would give her a copy of her records. This would ensure… should something happen while she was away, she would be treated better…. treated with respect. You may be wondering what I mean by that. Here’s the deal: if you are out of town, and you show up to the local hospital travelling while pregnant with a problem and no prenatal records… Let me just say it doesn’t make the hospital staff happy. Some will wonder if you “REALLY” have had prenatal care. Some nurses believe, no matter the reason, you should NEVER travel pregnant and here you are 30 weeks pregnant at 2am with pre term contractions and no prenatal history that they know of. It pisses them off to be honest and it can affect the way you are treated. I am in no way advocating for sub par treatment based on the absence of prenatal records. I am simply sharing some information from the inside. The reality is having your records makes life easier for all of us. You, your primary provider, and the nurses and providers who will be taking care of you during your out of town prenatal visit. You may think this all sounds a little shitty but its truth. Bottom line, when you travel, take a copy of your records. You will be happy you did.

Third… And this one is all about ME!!! I wonder… Is she gonna be on my flight? Will she go into labor? And will I be able to run to the rescue AND most importantly will I get a free round trip airline ticket as a reward for my inflight midwife skills LOLOL. I know of one midwife who helped birth a baby on a flight from ASIA!! She got a pair of first class round trip tickets. That happened more than 20 years ago. These days I would probably get a bag of peanuts LOL

Welp… There you have it.The random thoughts that go through my head when I see a woman travelling while pregnant. Did you fly or travel while you were pregnant? Did you tell your midwife? Did you have your prenatal records with you? Tell us about it..

Today is the day… determined by some legal decision of another date and time… that we celebrate Mother’s Day. I don’t know the origins of this day and honestly it doesn’t matter to me at this point. But if you want details about the history and origins of Mother’s Day… check out www.mothersdaycentral.com😉

In general, I feel about Mothers Day the same way I feel about other holidays… Often started with good intentions today they are so commercialized the real meaning is lost in the material bullshit. Now I’m not saying I’m all bah humbug but I will admit my favorite holiday character is the Grinch LOL but I digress….

The bottom line is I believe people, love, faith, relationships and yes MOTHERS should be celebrated everyday not just once a year. There was a time when I refused to celebrate mother’s day under the premise that I love my mother 365 days a year and a Hallmark card wasnt needed to make it so. I think that time period kinda hurt my mothers feelings

Today I gave my mother a card. It was a basic card with an appropriate message and then of course I included my own little personal note. I gave her this card and previous cards, not because I started believing mothers day really mattered but rather to remind myself how much SHE really mattered to me.

As I continue to watch my mother deal with the side affects of multiple myeloma, and its varying treatments, I am constantly reminded how precious each day is. I am amazed at my mother’s strength and at her continued commitment to excellence in life. My mother is a STRONG woman. IMO… ALL mothers are strong. Even the ones society may deem weak or the ones considered “bad.” Becoming a mother is a miracle and Mothering is no easy task. Yes… ALL mothers are strong.

In my line of work, you really have a chance to get up close and personal with the strength of women. The strength of mothers. In this work, you really understand the reality that everyday is indeed a great day to Birth Something Beautiful™. And as a result everyday is Mothers Day.

Today I salute my mother and the strong mothers everywhere. Without you my passion would be nonexistent. Thank you for all that you are and all that you do. I pray that when I am blessed to become a mother I will be at least half as strong.

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There are often things that cross my mind throughout my day that I want to share on this blog. I make a mental note and often a real pen to paper note about it and for a multitude of reasons the blog is never written and the information never shared. I decided today that I would try to blog from my phone ap. This is my first attempt. This post is not full of any particular words of wisdom. In fact its only a test… Yes this is a test… Not of the emergency broadcast system but of my ability to continue to lean new technology. This might be fun… This will definitely teach me to be efficient with my words… Which may help as I move to write this book… It will also require more tolerance of typos… Whatever may come of it…. I can say today… This slide out keyboard may come in handy afterall. #GiveThanks

National Women’s Health Week is a weeklong health observance coordinated by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Office on Women’s Health. It brings together communities, businesses, government, health organizations, and other groups in an effort to promote women’s health. The theme for 2011 is “It’s Your Time.” National Women’s Health Week empowers women to make their health a top priority.

I love the theme “It’s YOUR Time.”

While pregnancy and birth are my passions, the reality is it every aspect of women’s health, how its dealt with, how we are educated about it and what we do with that education directly affects pregnancy outcomes. Even information/research/education on something far from pregnancy i.e. menopause can affect pregnancy because you see… the culture and the attitude around women’s health, as well as the awareness of and education about women health issues are all intertwined and this includes pregnancy.

I encourage you to use this week to gain more knowledge/information about a topic specific to women’s health and of course use it as a time to make YOUR health a top priority. Are you do for a physical, (ummmm kinda talking to myself here), a papsmear, a colonoscopy, or a mammogram “It’s Your Time.” Have you been meaning to stop smoking, start working out or cut back on fast food? “It’s Your Time.” What can you do THIS week to Make YOUR health a top priority?

ME??? My action step is to make two personal health appointments I have been putting off. (maybe 3… if you follow my tweets you may have noticed me complaining about my eyesight LOL) This is my time and This is YOUR time. Take the time to take care of your health… cause if you are not healthy it makes it much more difficult to birth something beautiful!!

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Disclaimer

The information on this blog is for educational, informational and sometimes entertainment purposes only. The views expressed here are the professional opinions of the author. They are in no way intended to take the place of advice from your personal provider. As EVERY pregnancy is different, the reader should always consult her own OB provider to determine the appropriateness of the information for her particular situation.

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